The Washington critic., 1887-03-03
WASHINGTON, MARCH .. 1887.
THE NEW MOSES.

The President, In all probability,
considered II great stroke of polit.
ical wisdom TO appoint colored Dem
ocrat to succeed colorod Republican
In the office of the Recorder of Deeds
for this District; and when q Repub.
lican Senate refused to confirm the
nomination of Mr.. Matthews, he doubt
less felt that this was so much addi.
tional capital made for the Democratic
party.
Then IL must have been still big
ger. and wiser stroke Of political wis
dom 10 nominate another cplprpd DEM
ocrat or Mug wump, ur whatever he
may be- to succeed Mr. Matthews; aud
now that a NcpubIi'un Senate has re-
fused to confirm this second nomina-
tion, the amount ot additional capital
thus made for the Democratic plrty
must be doubled at least,
The stampede OF c9lrcl men from
the R,publican To The Democratic
party, which was expected TO result
from these extraordinary performances
of the President, ought by this time to
be well under way; hut We sean the
horiz N In all directions and in win for
the fl :, symptom Of any such STAN.
pede, or the slightest Indication thlt 1t
is even contemplated.
There is no objection on the part of
the coored people TO being recognized
by the Administration and II Is entirely
proper that they should be so recog-
nized. 1t would be just and sagacious
thing on the part Of Mr.. Cleveland to
assure them by every legitimate means
in his power that Democratic admin
istration is as capable as Republican
administration of divesting itself of
race prejudice and giving the negro a
fair show in the distribution of public
patronage. But II so happens that his
first and only move in this direction is
an unaccoun,able blunder, and there Is
not an intelligent colored man in the
United States at all familiar with the
circumstances who does not feel 1t Ia
he so.
And the worst of 1t Is that the Presi
dent, upon discovering his blunder, in.
stead of proceeding at once to rectify
1t, as he might have done withou,
any sacrifice of principle or policy,
by making an appointment from the
District, exhibits an unsecmly haste to
perpetrate another blunder worse than
the first.
What has the President succeeded
, in doing by these wonderful stroke,
of political wisdom?
He has ignored the principle oi
local men for local offices, in contra
diclion of his own declarations on tht
subject
He has stubJoruly refused TO accell
10 the wishes of his Democratic
friends in the District regarding the
appointment in question, although II
was the one of all others gu which they
had a right TO be heard.
He has piuously anlagnnizei
the public sentiment Of the District il
this behalf, irrespective ol party oil
race.
lie has twice defed ns being of M
weight or account in the determination
of his action, the solemn Judgment OF
The Senate rendered against him, not as
n Republican Senate, but ON non
partisan lines.
He is alternating the confidence oI
the very men whose friendship hi
sought by designating as their peculia
peTquisiie an office to which he col
give no constitutional title, and by i'm
porting one of their number from
abroad to occupy it, as an affront ant
insult TO the people whose money
black and white supports it.
He has lent himself, as It would seen
from yesterdays proceedings, to {
scheme for rlve,ing upon the Distric
an appointment to which the peopl,
will never be reconciled, and by tricl
that reflects upon the dignity ant
honor of the Administration.
As new Moses to lead the colorel
voters of the country out of the Repub
lican wilderness we fear that the Presi
dent Is not success,